*Conor Cleary and David Reidy will be facing off this weekend. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
FINALISTS in the TUS Clare SHC will be known by Sunday evening with both semi-finals down for decision this weekend.
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SHC is with thanks to The Temple Gate Hotel.
Ballyea last crowned champions in 2022 are the most recent winners left standing in the penultimate stage of the Clare SHC. Kilmaley are bidding to win a first title since 2004, Éire Óg are looking to end their wait which stretches back to 1990 since they lifted the Canon Hamilton while Clooney/Quin won their maiden title in 1942.
Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg hosts both semi-finals this weekend.
First up is the meeting of Éire Óg and Kilmaley on Saturday evening at 16:30. Both sides have won in all of their four championship outings and not just that but they have been the two-form teams of the campaign, recording facile quarter-final victories over Inagh/Kilnamona and Sixmilebridge respectively.
Éire Óg manager, Gerry O’Connor expects it to be “a fascinating game”. He told The Clare Echo, “They gave the standout performance of the quarter-finals, they mixed it really well, against the wind they ran the ball and were coming in waves but then when they launched it on Conor (Cleary) it worked, they have a lot of different facets to their attack and are well able to create opportunities. I’d say it will be a fascinating game and we’re looking forward to it”. He said, “This is what we train for, we’re on the go for the last eight or nine months, some might say we’re on the go for the last eight or nine years. This is what you train for, to perform like we did on a fine evening like this evening”.
Young guns have stepped up for the Ennis club this season with Marco Cleary, Robert Loftus, Rian Mulcahy, Fionnan Treacy and Darren Moroney among their top performers. Shane O’Donnell, David Reidy, Oran Cahill, Aaron Fitzgerald and Danny Russell will also play key roles for the Townies.
Kilmaley are gearing up for a first semi-final in seven years and took on Offaly side, Birr in a challenge match last weekend as part of their preparations, a match which they used to test out their panel. Selector, Eoin O’Malley outlined, “The competition even within our training sessions is really positive right now and of course winning games obviously helps in that regard as in previous years we perhaps haven’t been able to bring that consistency. At the moment we have that and it’s creating that real competition for places, driving standards and hopefully we can keep building on that now. Obviously we’ve another massive game to come and it’s going to take a full twenty man effort again to try and win a semi-final”.
Conor Cleary’s role as the main outlet in their attack has been strengthened by the return of Brian McNamara. They face a different test this weekend and may have to alter their midfield to allow Tommy Barry occupy a man-marking role in defence. Daire Keane, Sean Kennedy, Tom O’Rourke and Seán O’Loughlin will also be lining out for Brian Culbert’s side.
On Sunday at 15:30, it is the meeting of Ballyea and Clooney/Quin. Experience of competing in the business end of the championship is a big plus for Robbie Hogan’s experienced Ballyea side which will have Tony Kelly, Gearoid O’Connell, Paul Flanagan, Jack Browne and Daniel Costelloe in key roles. They have bounced back from their first round one point loss to Kilmaley to put together three successive victories including knocking out one of the favourites for the Canon Hamilton, Clonlara.
For many of Fergal Lynch’s Clooney/Quin side it will be a first senior semi-final. The club is in the last four for the first time since 2017, a year in which they also contested the county final. Lynch was captain of the side then with Cillian Duggan, Peter Duggan, Ryan Taylor, Jimmy Corry surviving members of the team with Shane McNamara and Bryan McInerney capable of featuring from the bench.
Jack O’Neill, Sean McNamara, Jerry O’Connor, Darragh Keogh and John Conneally are among those featuring in a first senior semi-final but are vital players for Clooney/Quin.
Senior status is on the line when Corofin and St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield clash in Dr Daly Park, Tulla at 13:00 on Sunday. Fionn Kelleher is expected to miss the tie with a hamstring injury and will be a huge loss in the Doora/Barefield defence while there are question marks over the fitness of David Conroy, Cian Barron and Jarlath Colleran. Both sides have yet to win in this year’s championship and are set to form part of a tense and tight affair.
Intermediate quarter-finals take place this weekend with Ruan and Tulla squaring off in Clarecastle at 17:30 while Clarecastle and Tubber meet at the same stage of the competition for the second year running, this time in Páirc na nGael, Ruan at 14:00 on Saturday.
